DIY - Bow Foot Brace

[Fleetwalker]

My daughter and I do downriver races together in an OT Penobscot 16. I've set up a system with moveable saddles because, at 9 years old, trimming the boat is a continuous undertaking; and because I also paddle the boat solo occasionally. Because of her height, she's gotten used to sitting on the saddle rather than kneeling.

I'd like to put a bar in the bow for her to brace her feet against. I did some looking online and it seems like one possible approach would be to mount two pieces of aluminum channel on strips of wood. Epoxy or glass the wood strips to the hull. Then take two pieces of aluminum tubing (one slightly smaller than the other) to make a telescoping footbrace. If you drill holes in the channel at (say) 1" intervals, and in the ends of the tubing, you would be able to bolt the tubing in where it was most appropriate based on her height and weight for that particular day.

Has anyone tried this? I'd rather not (on purpose) put holes in the hull below the water line though I realize many racing canoes are set up this way.

[kaz]

Or, you could just shove a shaped piece of minicell foam up into the bow for her to push against.

[Fleetwalker]

What is the fun in using a simple, cheap, effective solution when you can over-engineer the problem?

Kidding aside, I was contemplating whether replacing the front airbag with solid foam was a better option. Is the best approach to fill the whole front cavity under the deck or to build a bulkhead. And what kind of foam works best (lightest)?

[sbroam]

Ha! I almost posted what Kaz posted. I needed a foot brace in a boat for a race, a boat that I didn't want to put a permanent brace in so I made one from foam. I didn't want it pushing out on the sides of the boat, so I glue a piece to it to extend up to the stem. Worked great.

[kaz]

I'll post a picture soon, of an adjustable bow foot brace that is typically used in marathon boats. They are aluminum and have a range of travel of approx 12". And yes, I'll be selling them! Ha-ha.

[Mike W.]

I used to paddle bow in a Penobscot. We put a sliding seat in the bow to get the trim right. Then I fitted & glued a couple of chunks of mini-cell foam in the bow for a foot brace. 1st piece in was shaped to the bow as a spacer. I braced off the 2nd piece, which was taller & wider. I think the piece that I put my feet on was actually the back-rest out of a Dagger Cascade. I only had to trim the lower front corners to fit the boat. It will probably be months before I see that boat again for photos.

In case you're wondering, the 'universal sliding seat kit' requires a little creativity, along with some extra parts.

[kaz]

Here's a picture of a bow footbrace that is typically used in a marathon boat. It also floats. Adjustable length of approx 8".

[Fleetwalker]

OK, I'm revisiting this. Based on the good advice presented here - which I most ignored before discovering it was correct - I'm thinking of ditching the front flotation bag and putting solid foam up front and then using an adjustable marathon style footbrace (or just having her put her feet on the foam. The next question is what kind of foam do people use. I'm assuming it's not minicell, but something stiffer/lighter? Supply sources are welcome.

[ezwater]

You can use minicell, and then stiffen the surface where her feet go, using fabric painted on with contact cement. Or, glue whatever you want onto the minicell surface.

[Longboatin]

Just glue a block of minicell to the floor. 3x3xwhat ever would extend up the sides of the hull a bit. when she grow, scrape it off and reglue.